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Suffolk Law School is committed to providing a diverse
student body with the opportunity to study law. That commitment has yielded some
of the nation’s most distinguished legal professionals. Learn how a stranger’s
favor more than 100 years ago planted the seed that became one of the largest
law schools in the country.
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Learn more about the Suffolk Law application process. Still
on the fence? Come take a tour. We’ve also got answers to all of your financial
aid questions—there are many resources available to help offset the cost of law
school.
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With three degree programs, several joint degree options, 18
areas of focus, and six concentrations, you can find the course of study meant
for you. Complement your courses by working in one of our dozen clinics,
joining a moot court or mock trial team, or studying abroad.
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Our students make Sargent Hall hum with activity from
morning ‘til midnight. With more than four dozen students groups representing a
wide range of cultures, legal areas, sports, religions, and other interests,
there’s a group for you at Suffolk Law.
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Suffolk Law is committed to creating practice-ready lawyers,
equipped with the skills and competencies to succeed in a shifting cultural and
technological landscape. Our Office of Professional and Career Development is a
resource for students, alumni, and employers alike.
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Within Suffolk Law, there are bodies of expertise and
experience that reflect our institutional strengths. Learn more about the
concentrations, organizations, clinics, and programs that comprise what we call
our knowledge centers.
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Our faculty include top scholars in the field, practitioners-in-residence,
and current and former litigators and judicial officers. We also regularly host
distinguished visiting faculty from notable institutions across the country.
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The John Joseph Moakley Law Library boasts more than 350,000
volumes, dozens of computer stations and group study rooms, access to dozens of
online research databases, and other resources to help you succeed in the
classroom.
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From mentoring students to offering financial support, from
our online community to our alumni magazine, there are several ways for Suffolk
Law’s more than 23,000 alumni to stay connected to each other and to the
University.
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About the JJC

The Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) was founded in 1998 with a grant from the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs. It is now supported by Suffolk University Law School, government and private foundation grants. The JJC mission is to provide vigorous, high-quality representation for children in the juvenile court system, using a multi-disciplinary approach that includes supportive social services and education advocacy. This approach to delinquency defense increases positive outcomes for court-involved youth. The Center also monitors and actively advocates on state policies that affect how youth are sent to court and the consequences of their court involvement.

Theory and practice

The clinical program at the JJC provides Suffolk Law students with practical, in-court experience. By combining theory and practice, students learn the historical development of juvenile justice law in a classroom component, while acquiring courtroom skills, experiencing client/attorney relationships, learning adolescent development theory, and working with the agencies that treat the JJC's young clients.

Legal representation

The JJC handles 500 to 600 delinquency cases annually. Two JJC attorneys supervise Suffolk Law students representing youth in court, as well as provide direct representation to juveniles from arraignment through disposition. The JJC approaches cases by completely exploring and handling all aspects of each, including investigating incident scenes, motion practice, frequent client contact, and strong advocacy at the adjudicatory and dispositional stages of all proceedings.

Social services

The involvement of a young person in the juvenile justice system is often a symptom of that youth's reaching out for help to deal with problems they face with peers, family, and their community. The case worker assists attorneys and law students in interviewing youth and their families to determine their needs and strengths. The case worker makes referrals to services which assist youth in maintaining a sense of structure and stability in their lives.

Education advocacy

Many youth facing charges in Massachusetts are at risk of temporary suspension or permanent exclusion from public school. Education is central to the meaning of a real "second chance" for court-involved youth. The JJC education attorney supervises Suffolk Law students and directly advocates for youth at school hearings. Much of the JJC's education advocacy supports youth with unidentified or untreated learning disabilities which, when left untreated, impair their ability to succeed in school.

The Center is grateful for the support of the following foundations. This support has enabled the Center to increase its scope and capacity for reaching out to youth and youth-serving institutions in Massachusetts.